Which sup-species would you chase?

[Happy]

I will be happy with easterns the rest of my life. If I had to choose another it would be the osceola. I really don't have much interest in the others.

[Rockhound]

I wanna go somewhere where the roost consists of a couple hundred birds

[Swenny]

I think a goulds hunt sounds amazing.

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[Marc]

I want to go to Everywhere.  Everywhere is the place that I've been told there is lots of turkeys.  Still looking for it but maybe someday.

Just make sure if you do go everywhere, that you go yesterday...  Yesterday is when all the birds are around...

[Meatseeker]

I've killed a bunch of nice Easterns in New England on mostly highly pressure public land.  Some of those longbeards just kick my but every year.  I have a bucket list dream to  get every sub-species and an Oscellated in Mexico.  For me I really enjoy seeing the different places these birds live.  My order;  Merriam's, Rio's, Osceala, Goulds, Oscellated.  I'd like to get my Merriam's and Rio's on public land DIY.  I anticipate I'll need an outfitter for the others

[Tomfoolery]

I really enjoyed my merriams hunt in the black hills. It was nice to hear gobbling birds every day. Hunt mostly public land here in louisiana and may hear a couple gobblers 1 day then go a week without hesring another. The landscape i hunt here is mostly pine plantations and logged woods with some hardwood bottoms. Thick ad hard to maneuver sometimes. Have killed several rios in texas and that is fun when theyre doing it. Would like to hunt easterns in the some pretty hardwoods like what catman posts from tennessee or some missouri hardwoods.

[silvestris]

Other than seeing different country, I just want to hunt my birds, but they have certainly gotten scarce lately.

[Marc]

Other than seeing different country, I just want to hunt my birds, but they have certainly gotten scarce lately.

As I have seen in my own area, that will likely change.

Turkey populations seem to be very dynamic and fluctuate fairly rapidly (based on habitat and weather).

[Yoder409]

My favorite is the Merriams - they play the game right .......

Haha !!!

Tell that to these Wyoming birds who have spent the last 4 days handing me my arse.........    Most ignorant birds I have ever hunted.   They rival the Gould's for beautiful.   But they are absolutely IGNORANT.

[arrow1]

I've hunted Easterns in NY, VA, NC and IA. I hunted Rios in TX. Hunted Osceola in FL(duh). Hunted Merriams in MT and SD.  Living in the east and having Easterns to hunt keeps me traveling for the other birds and I like it that way. I completed 2 Slams and just keep making the rounds. I would have to say that the Merriams was my favorite because they are beautiful and live in some pretty country too for a guy from the east.

[GobbleNut]

For me, it is not about the subspecies, it is about the way the birds I am hunting are willing to play the game. 

First off, if I am hunting somewhere that the turkeys are not willing to gobble and have a conversation with me, then as far as I am concerned, they can just stay in the woods.  Turkeys that will gobble are a prerequisite for me hunting them.  That doesn't mean every gobbler has to gobble and respond to my calling.  There just have to be SOME around that will.  If there are some out there that will do that, I will find them given enough time.  If there are not, I will go home or go hunt somewhere else.

Secondly, I prefer hunting a population of birds that challenge my turkey hunting skills, both in terms of calling and woodsmanship.  I suspect there are places in every state and with every subspecies that the turkeys are so lightly hunted that they are pushovers,...and there are also places where the birds have been hunted, and the numbers depleted, so much that they are nearly impossible.  I prefer something in the middle.

I have hunted all five of the "regular" subspecies a number of times,...some more than others.  Granted, my opinions are based on a somewhat limited selection of states hunted, but given the parameters outlined above, here is how I would rank them, and the reasons why:
1) Merriam's (public, hunted populations):  Good talkers, willing to gobble, will "play the game" right,...that is, come in gobbling and strutting if you do your part.  Hard-hunted populations will challenge your hunting skills while still allowing you to hunt birds that are willing to gobble and talk.  A lot of the country they are hunted in is spectacular (probably the thing that puts them above Easterns in my book).
2) Easterns (where they are not hunted so hard that they are ghosts):  Will generally gobble enough to let you locate them, will also play, again if you do your part.  Love that Eastern-gobbler raspy, angry gobble.  Really close to being on the same level as Merriam's,...just not quite in my book. (another qualifier: I have only hunted Easterns in the southeast states)
3/4)  Rios and Goulds (tie):  These are a tie, but for entirely different reasons.  In the places I have hunted Rios, they have just been so conditioned to routines based around roost sites and feeders/ag fields/food plots that you have to base your tactics primarily on those rather than calling and woodsmanship skills.  Goulds are here (on my list) because they are just too easy to kill,...the places I have hunted them, they have just not been hunted enough to have developed any "human hunter avoidance" instincts.  Having said that, they do play the game right,...but are just too easy.
5) Osceola (sorry Osceola guys):  My perspective on Osceola's may be "askew" because I have only hunted them four times, but from my observation, they are either too easy to kill (exclusive, private properties), or they are hunted so hard that they are just no fun.  Plus, the habitat they live in is just so foreign to this western boy that I have a hard time adjusting to it. I'm not a real big fan of skeeters and high humidity...

[RailRoader]

The birds here are getting scarce also. Probably less than half the population from 15 years ago, here in Mississippi. Easterns are all I've hunted. Rios would be my next choice, then Osceola and Merriam.

[Meatseeker]

For me, it is not about the subspecies, it is about the way the birds I am hunting are willing to play the game. 

First off, if I am hunting somewhere that the turkeys are not willing to gobble and have a conversation with me, then as far as I am concerned, they can just stay in the woods.  Turkeys that will gobble are a prerequisite for me hunting them.  That doesn't mean every gobbler has to gobble and respond to my calling.  There just have to be SOME around that will.  If there are some out there that will do that, I will find them given enough time.  If there are not, I will go home or go hunt somewhere else.

Secondly, I prefer hunting a population of birds that challenge my turkey hunting skills, both in terms of calling and woodsmanship.  I suspect there are places in every state and with every subspecies that the turkeys are so lightly hunted that they are pushovers,...and there are also places where the birds have been hunted, and the numbers depleted, so much that they are nearly impossible.  I prefer something in the middle.

I have hunted all five of the "regular" subspecies a number of times,...some more than others.  Granted, my opinions are based on a somewhat limited selection of states hunted, but given the parameters outlined above, here is how I would rank them, and the reasons why:
1) Merriam's (public, hunted populations):  Good talkers, willing to gobble, will "play the game" right,...that is, come in gobbling and strutting if you do your part.  Hard-hunted populations will challenge your hunting skills while still allowing you to hunt birds that are willing to gobble and talk.  A lot of the country they are hunted in is spectacular (probably the thing that puts them above Easterns in my book).
2) Easterns (where they are not hunted so hard that they are ghosts):  Will generally gobble enough to let you locate them, will also play, again if you do your part.  Love that Eastern-gobbler raspy, angry gobble.  Really close to being on the same level as Merriam's,...just not quite in my book. (another qualifier: I have only hunted Easterns in the southeast states)
3/4)  Rios and Goulds (tie):  These are a tie, but for entirely different reasons.  In the places I have hunted Rios, they have just been so conditioned to routines based around roost sites and feeders/ag fields/food plots that you have to base your tactics primarily on those rather than calling and woodsmanship skills.  Goulds are here (on my list) because they are just too easy to kill,...the places I have hunted them, they have just not been hunted enough to have developed any "human hunter avoidance" instincts.  Having said that, they do play the game right,...but are just too easy.
5) Osceola (sorry Osceola guys):  My perspective on Osceola's may be "askew" because I have only hunted them four times, but from my observation, they are either too easy to kill (exclusive, private properties), or they are hunted so hard that they are just no fun.  Plus, the habitat they live in is just so foreign to this western boy that I have a hard time adjusting to it. I'm not a real big fan of skeeters and high humidity...

You sir could teach me a thing or two!  I appreciate your perspective!

[owlhoot]

Would have to say that I would like to go Merriams .Killed eastern and a pile of hybrids in Kansas. The hybrids are some crazy gobbling fools and play the game relentlessly.

[dejake]

Without a doubt, an Arizona Goulds.  After that, a New Mexico Merriams.  As far as the rest, I like the Easterns.